An estimated 15,000 shooters travelled to all corners of the state hoping the drought in Northern Australia would keep local waterbird populations at home.Rodolfo Marulla and 15 mates from an Italian club in Doncaster said it was their worst opening for 50 years“The ducks were there on Thursday but they were gone on Saturday morning, we got two between us and I didn’t pull a trigger.”Members of Mr Marulla’s Amici club were among an estimated 500 shooters at Woolshed Lake, near Boort, on Saturday morning.Shooters in the Wimmera, Gippsland and the South West regions, around Geelong, produced the best bags.One hunter was booked for shooting a protected freckled duck and a small number of hunters were detected using lead shot.Protesters at Kerang and Geelong were fined for illegally entering specified hunting areas during prohibited times. The duck season ends on June 9.

Comments on this story

Curt of Metung Posted at 7:48 AM March 19, 2014

WOW ozzy girl of kew, there is certainly some ill-informed emotive diatribe in that comment, bet if you went passed the last tram stop you'd be lost.
If it wasn't for duck hunters there would be even less habitat for the ducks, please do some research on your subject before making stupid comments like that.

Micko Picko of Lara Posted at 10:15 PM March 18, 2014

Ozzy girl of Kew, please stick to your inner city cafes and keep sipping your lattes. When you don't have an understanding of the world outside of the inner city, its best to keep your ignorant comments to yourself.

Harry Black of Wangaratta Posted at 4:05 PM March 18, 2014

Of course it is viable if you take the Rambo out of it,which has happened through good Legislation,Policing and Guidance.With steel shot, licences to hunt, gun licences and property owners permission we three got our bag by 12 noon, 4 different species all cleaned, bagged and ready for the freezer followed by a great lunch, a cold beer and good mates to boot. All of this at our own expence through our wallet, licence fees and memberships some of which may I add goes back into the invironment, flaura and fauna and for us to keep the dream alive in the sprit of hunting.
Go fowling, Harry Black.